Piston ring for oil pumps



April 18, 1950 J. c. VROMAN PISTON RING FOR OIL PUMPS Filed July 7, 1947FlG.i.

FIG.3.

INVENTOR.

4 JOHN C. VROMAN yww V ATTORNEYS Fatented Apr. 18, 1950 geese NIT'EDSTATES PATENT F IQ 2,504,362; PISTON RING FOR om PUMPS John 0. Vroman,Detroit, Mich. Application Jul-y 7 1947, s r f-am 759,336 4 Claims. (01.sea-22) The invention relates to pumps and more particularly toconstructions designed for use in oil wells. The instant applicationforms a continuation-in-part of an earlier application Serial No.675,733, filed June 10, 1946, now Patent No. 2,437,056.

It is the object of the invention to form a peripheral seal for theplunger of the pump, comprising a series of rings of peculiarconstruction such as to facilitate assembly and disassembly of theparts. To this end the invention consists in the construction ashereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the pump plunger within the barrel, whichlatter is in vertical central section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through a portion of the plunger;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the packing rings;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4, Fig. 2.

A is the pump barrel formed in the well casing and B is the pump plungeror piston within the barrel. C are packing rings sleeved on the plungerB and fitting the barrel to form a liquidtight seal therewith.

In the operation of oil wells it is sometimes necessary to temporarilystop the pumping action and when this occurs there is danger that thepacking on the plunger may become stuck in the barrel. Various deviceshave been heretofore constructed to effect a freeing of the plunger butnone of these constructions have been altogether satisfactory. I have,therefore, devised the following construction.

The plunger B is of the usual tubular type which carries a check valve Band is suitably connected to the operating rod. The upper portion D ofthe plunger fits the barrel A with only working clearance therebetween.Below the portion D is a tubular portion E of smaller diameter uponwhich the packing rings C are sleeved. These rings are preferably formedof annular members C, having an L-shaped cross section and with packingmaterials C engaging the small diameter portion thereof to extendradially outward to a slightly greater diameter and to also extendaxially slightly beyond the end of said member C. The members C areinternally of a polygonal form, which will fit over the tube E, but willcontact therewith only at spaced points. This facilitates the removal ofthe rings from the tube E whenever this is necessary and avoids thedanger of sticking through corrosion.

Abutting against the upper end of the series of rings C is a member Fsleeved on the tube E and having a portion F of smaller diameter whichengages an annular recess or counterbore G within a member G. The lattermember is arranged on the tube E adjacent to the member D and is securedthereto as will be hereinafter described. The counterbore G within themember G is of suflicient length to receive a helical spring I-I, oneend of which abuts against the upper end of the member F while itsopposite end abuts against a shoulder G in the member G. Above theshoulder G is an annular recess G which forms a chamber in which air istrapped. This chamber is sealed by brazing a ring I between the adjacentends of the members D and G and to the portion of the tube Etherebetween. At the lower end of the series of packing rings C is amember J threadedly engaging the lower end of the tube E and tightenedagainst a shoulder thereof. This will place the helical spring H undercompression. The rings 0 will be clamped between the members G and J soas to be normally in fixed position on the plunger.

With the construction as above described, when the plunger B is raisedand lowered within the barrel A the rings 0 will form a liquid-tightseal therebetween. If, however, these rings should at any time stick tothe barrel A during an interval in which the pump is not in operation,then the initial downward movement of the plunger will compress thehelical spring H until the lower end of the member G strikes against theshoulder F of the member F. The impact thus produced will tend to loosenthe rings C from the barrel and after a certain number of such impactsthey will be freed so as to resume normal functioning. If it becomesnecessary at any time to renew the sealing rings the old rings can bereadily detached from the plunger inasmuch as the internal polygonalform makes only line contacts with the cylindrical plunger and thus willnot become bound by corrosion.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a pump, the combination with a barrel and a plunger forreciprocation therewithin, of a series of sealing rings sleeved on saidplunger, each of said rings having a metallic portion and a portion ofpacking material, said metallic portion being internally fashioned tohave bearing on said plunger at only spaced points in the circumferencethereof to avoid sticking through corrosion and to facilitate detachmentfrom said plunger.

2. In a pump, the combination with a barrel and a plunger forreciprocation therewithin, said plunger having a cylindrical portion, ofa series of sealing rings sleeved on said plunger, each of said ringshaving a metallic portion and a portion of packing material, saidmetallic portion being internally of polygonal form to have tangentcontact with said cylindrical portion thereby avoiding sticking of thering to said plunger through corrosion.

A sealing ring for oil pump plungers comprising a metallic portion ofL-shaped cross section, the internal surface of said portion beingpolygonal in form and a portion of packing material seated in saidL-shaped portion to project slightly beyond the same axially andradially.

4. In a pump the combination with a barrel 15 and a plunger forreciprocation therewithin, said plunger having a cylindrical portion, ofa series of sealing rings sleeved on said cylindrical por- 4 tion, eachof said rings having a metallic portion of L-shaped cross section andbeing internally of polygonal form and a portion of packing materialseated in said L-shaped portion to project slightly beyond the sameaxially and radially and means on said plunger for applying axialpressure to the whole series of rings.

JOHN C. VROMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,369,592 White -1 Feb. 22, 19211,583,931 Joyce May 11, 1926 2,366,832 Christensen Jan. 9, 1945

